Did you have a Natural or C-Section?
- Thread starter rani
- Start date
c-sections in HK
I don't think your survey is going to give a "true" picture on the number of C-sections in HK - the locals tend to have elective cesareans - in part as encouraged by their doctors. Expats tend to try for normal deliveries. Most of my work colleagues (locals) confirm this: elect to have c-sections for convenience, picking birthdate, fear of pain etc etc.
p.s. I had all 3 of my kids in HK - each time a normal delivery, and each one faster than the last! :lurking:
I don't think your survey is going to give a "true" picture on the number of C-sections in HK - the locals tend to have elective cesareans - in part as encouraged by their doctors. Expats tend to try for normal deliveries. Most of my work colleagues (locals) confirm this: elect to have c-sections for convenience, picking birthdate, fear of pain etc etc.
p.s. I had all 3 of my kids in HK - each time a normal delivery, and each one faster than the last! :lurking:
rani
Administrator
You're right most locals do prefer to go for elective c-sections.
But recently I've noticed that a lot of Expats are also having c's too. Primarily on the advice of their Drs. From my baby group, we were 7 and only 2 of us had SVB. I would say thats pretty high. :bounce:
But recently I've noticed that a lot of Expats are also having c's too. Primarily on the advice of their Drs. From my baby group, we were 7 and only 2 of us had SVB. I would say thats pretty high. :bounce:
Last edited:
jasminea
Registered User
i had 2 cs and my second one was fantastic.my doc didnt encouraged nor i picked a date but the fear of pain prevented me from electing normal delivery.just to share with you...plus rani,i never joined your playgroup before..could you email me at [email protected] or please tell me what s the ages of your group?
I don't understand anyone who chooses a C-sec due to fear of pain. They are ****ing painful. I had emergency C, and could not sit up for 5 days, my friends who all had Cs had the same experience. Could hardly even get to the bath room for a week without nightmare pain. but those how had "normal" births were up and about within a day..... I went into labour on and off for 3 days before they made me go for a C-Sec. there was no pain at the time but afterwards ..... unbelievalbe. I would much rather have pushed, but my boy was well and truely trapped - he could not have got out any other way.
If you go here and scoll half-way down the screen, you'll find numbers of births and numbers of C-sections at different hospitals in the 1990's.
Then you can really see the difference - for example, in 1999, ~52% of all births at Baptist Hospital were C-sections; 62% of all births at HK Sanatorium; 39% at HK Adventist, and 31% at Matilda.
<http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr98-99/english/counmtg/hansard/990203fe.htm>
*************
The caesarean section (CS) rate amongst women delivering at PWH increased steadily from 14.7 % to 20.5% during the period 1992-2003.
* CS-rate in all public hospitals increased from 18.65% in 1998 to 22.3% in 2003.
* A territory wide maternity audit statistics of the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (HKCOG) showed that CS rates for all births Public & private) increased by 4.6% from 22.5% to 27.1% between 1994 and 1999.
*The proportion of planned caesarean deliveries in public hospitals decreased between 1998 (44.3%) and 2003 ( 32.0% ).
* But for all caesarean deliveries in Hong Kong it increased from 51.4% to 55.3%.
Based on these figures ~1/3 of babies in Hong Kong are now delivered by CS and over half of them are planned.
- For full text go to:
<http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/330/7495/806-a>
*******************
"From 1987 to 1999 the overall annual cesarean section rate rose steadily from 16.6 to 27.4 per 100 hospital deliveries, resulting in a 65 percent increase over 12 years.
The mean difference in rates of surgical delivery between public (mean(public) = 16.0%) and private (mean(private) = 43.4%) institutions was 27.4 percent (95% confidence interval (CI) = 24.1, 30.7; p < 0.001)."
- Leung G.M. et al.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11552964&dopt=Abstract>
Then you can really see the difference - for example, in 1999, ~52% of all births at Baptist Hospital were C-sections; 62% of all births at HK Sanatorium; 39% at HK Adventist, and 31% at Matilda.
<http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr98-99/english/counmtg/hansard/990203fe.htm>
*************
The caesarean section (CS) rate amongst women delivering at PWH increased steadily from 14.7 % to 20.5% during the period 1992-2003.
* CS-rate in all public hospitals increased from 18.65% in 1998 to 22.3% in 2003.
* A territory wide maternity audit statistics of the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (HKCOG) showed that CS rates for all births Public & private) increased by 4.6% from 22.5% to 27.1% between 1994 and 1999.
*The proportion of planned caesarean deliveries in public hospitals decreased between 1998 (44.3%) and 2003 ( 32.0% ).
* But for all caesarean deliveries in Hong Kong it increased from 51.4% to 55.3%.
Based on these figures ~1/3 of babies in Hong Kong are now delivered by CS and over half of them are planned.
- For full text go to:
<http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/330/7495/806-a>
*******************
"From 1987 to 1999 the overall annual cesarean section rate rose steadily from 16.6 to 27.4 per 100 hospital deliveries, resulting in a 65 percent increase over 12 years.
The mean difference in rates of surgical delivery between public (mean(public) = 16.0%) and private (mean(private) = 43.4%) institutions was 27.4 percent (95% confidence interval (CI) = 24.1, 30.7; p < 0.001)."
- Leung G.M. et al.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11552964&dopt=Abstract>
From what I've heard, it's way more painful a recovery for a c-section. I had a normal vaginal birth with an epidural and only had slight vaginal pain for 3 days and then felt no pain after that. The delivery wasn't painful and I only had slight tearing. My advice is to do perineal massage daily from 34 weeks on and kegels through your whole pregnancy to prevent perineal damage. Every person I have ever talked to always heals quicker with a tear rather than an episiotomy too. In Hong Kong it is standard procedure to do episiotomies for first births so it's good to prepare a birth plan to tell them what you want. Even at the public hospital they followed my wishes.
Happy birthing - my next is due on October 23rd and I'll definitely get another epidural if I can!
Happy birthing - my next is due on October 23rd and I'll definitely get another epidural if I can!